The Wilmingtonian., 1887-03-19
he street Commissioners pimcuiries-


Wedn Stay last at the Municipal CourI
Ma,tiu Keogh, contractor, was Indicted or
the charge of debtroyi' G the sidewalk, OBJ
st,ucIiug the pub ie highway on the north
side OF FrbDt street, between franklin aud
Bruome streets. HIS accuser was Street
Commissioner Frapcis McCloskey. MI
Ke eh pleaded not guilty, aud stated thar
lie was acting under a permit granted by the
mayor and Guy Council.
He said III his plea he had done anything
wrong he did net know OF it. MIR. Ktngh
a,ked for postpouement of the trial. CnS
SUlclty Turner objected to pnstpouen, ii,
upon the ground Of facts would be test, hr,
To BY Street Commissioner Francis McGb,s
key, Mr.. McClnskry testified that the Gus b
aud sidewalk Is excavatd and quauied uui
TO a depth Ut Q or feet Ia some parts, itIiu
destroyed for leugth Of A yards. Tne 10
callty nag been in this condition siuGe last
Fail, all The winter, aud until the moment ui
euierIng the cumplaut. MIR. MrCluskey
sad he had received complaints fIom III,
citzens residlug lu the neIshbOl hood, but
IA account of Tine tfieuJy he believed Mr.
keogh had IN opening the quarry he usrd
,uiue consideration iu the case. That was
Inc reason why he lad not entered G ,lUplaiut.
untii now. Monday last the street comms-
siuner saw Ke"gn with his men in tile
quarry. He spoke To him IN regard to tht
obstruction and told the accused that tue
auu"yance must be stopped. Nj. K ogh
"A uaA
fUm The mayor aud Guy CuuucIl, and il
Cnat is all you've To say, why, go ahead"
fhe street COMMISSIONER G AIMED u to be Il
clear case oi violation of city ordinance.
Tue accus, d also had not even placed the he
cessary tLree-ieet BOARDING nor put plat
iurm TIL, re at night. Tue place is hardly pass.
able siuoe August or Sep ember last. the
residents OF the beIg hDurhuudseeme to think
oI account oi MvCloskey's delay Of prUsecu-
Liun OF the case, that he, McCioskey, had
some Interest in tue quarry. He added that
JhfoiughUut all this time M. Keogh had
shown nU disposition t abale the Luisance.
rbe defendant claimed that he had fixed
things Wednesday morning. Tue court con-
sldei cd the laeI tia the defendants b recClly-
Ing matters NJ the present late moment need
uut Interfere with the street commissioner
pursuing acton for violation ui city ord-
| tiun be takt n, as the street commissioner, be-
| lag an Official of limited authority, it was
NECESSARY to meet III au official way the cou-
tlnued disregard of his orders. MIR. Keogn
was discharged up N payment of custs aud
| Promise to aDdle the nuisance immediately.
| But, this IL not all OF tue matter as ro-
CARDS the citztns by very large measure.
Complaint has been IeIJeI aJediy made by
ct zeus iu tile UutssiiIs nl tue Guy of the
indifference different parties seem 10 nave IN
regard to city ordlna COS. Upon the direct
assertion of such utti3Iai as the street com
iuissiJuer, white upon his va "a that his iu-
jlucIiuus mad been utterly d,sregalded, aud
| hat with the aggravation of def inue, aud
added to ,hls, the street commissioner ilI-
| formed the court that the residents had fe'
YueLtly complained to him OF the annoy
anSe and trouble they had bJen put TO, We
may assent that the muuiclpal judge made
| what the c.tIzeus VIII consider au Iusnhceut
ruling in tne case. The facts called for
| stronger punishment, Ia our opinion, than a
mere sentence OF being mulcied IN costs.
1t was not q first offence. IL was long con,
linued and persistent defiance oi the laws az
shown in the testimony.
Tie t,uth is that tho very occurrence that
city solicitor expressed himself in fear Of
that is contempt Of the street commissions
er's orders, is not unlikely 10 follow sueh a
light seutence as the one given, which il
tautImouut to no punishment at all. Since
August last, Mr.. K,ogh, according TO facts
had been openly infractiug the city urdl
nance.
Such adjudication in the police court al
the above record indicates will not tend r'
au efficient carrying out of the laws.